Chris Hardwick to host talk show about 'Breaking Bad'

Chris Hardwick, right, host of "The Talking Dead," has been signed to host another fan show called "Talking Bad," which will air after the final eight episodes of AMC's hit series "Breaking Bad."

Chris Hardwick, right, host of "The Talking Dead," has been signed to host another fan show called "Talking Bad," which will air after the final eight episodes of AMC's hit series "Breaking Bad." (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times)

Jessica Gelt

AMC announced Sunday that comedian and nerd-extraordinaire Chris Hardwick will host "Talking Bad," a loosely formatted fan forum and talk show that will follow each of the final eight episodes of the network's hit series "Breaking Bad."

"Talking Bad" was conceived thanks to the success of another Hardwick-hosted show along the same lines called "Talking Dead," which airs after AMC's wildly popular zombie thriller "Walking Dead."

During each 30-minute episode of "Talking Bad," Hardwick will recap minute details of the show with the fervor of a true fan. And just like with "Talking Dead," he'll also host celebrity guests who are either associated with the show or simply fans of it.

"Talking Dead" scored big with fans and morphed from a half-hour into an hour, garnering ratings in the coveted 18-49 demographic that surpassed those of some popular prime-time shows on major networks.

Hardwick, who also hosts BBC America's "The Nerdist," fields questions and emails from fellow fans with the alacrity of the devoted. It's an infectious approach — one that genrated a popularity that initially caught AMC executives off guard.

"We have had so much success with Chris Hardwick and 'Talking Dead,' the show-talking-about-a-show that attracted more than five million live viewers after last season's 'The Walking Dead' finale," said Joel Stillerman, AMC's executive vice president of original programming, production and digital content, in a news release. "An after-show hosted by Chris seemed like the perfect way to pay homage to and count down the final eight episodes of 'Breaking Bad,' giving fans the opportunity to come together and talk about the end of this iconic series brought to life by creator Vince Gilligan and his amazing cast and crew."

"Breaking Bad," which stars Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn and Bob Odenkirk, kicks off the final eight episodes of its fifth season on Aug. 11 at 9 p.m. It has won seven Emmy Awards and was named to the American Film Institute's list of "Top 10 Programs of the Year" in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012.